Cleaning soft top windows

[rdv350]

I just installed a soft top on my bronco and wanted to know what I should use to clean the soft clear plastic windows on a regular basis. I have heard that certain window cleaners will fog the plastic and I want to avoid this. So what should I use?

[Evan.J]

Re: Cleaning soft top windows

I just installed a soft top on my bronco and wanted to know what I should use to clean the soft clear plastic windows on a regular basis. I have heard that certain window cleaners will fog the plastic and I want to avoid this. So what should I use?

I think you can use Plastic X to clean them if im not mistaken on that.

[Mr Mustang]

Re: Cleaning soft top windows

i believe so as well

[the other pc]

Re: Cleaning soft top windows

Here’s what the Robbins Auto Top Company has to say:

Plastic Windows: Plastic windows in convertible Tops should be cleaned frequently. Be sure to hose or blow off loose dirt particles from surface first, and then use either plain water or mild soap and water solution. Apply with a soft cloth or tissue to gently clean window. Always clean in a side to side or a top to bottom motion, NEVER in a circular motion, (cleaning in a circular motion can damage plastic windows). There are also several good plastic cleaners available such as "Meguiar’s Mirror Glaze Formula 17". Never use harsh brushes or abrasives when cleaning plastic windows.

PC.

[southpactire]

Re: Cleaning soft top windows

I just installed a soft top on my bronco and wanted to know what I should use to clean the soft clear plastic windows on a regular basis. I have heard that certain window cleaners will fog the plastic and I want to avoid this. So what should I use?

I just cleaned the soft plastic windows in my Mercedes with #17. I have not tried PlastX yet on this car, but I think due to the wear marks from storing the top down, that may be something I try in the future.

Before #17

After # 17:

[roushstage2]

Re: Cleaning soft top windows

Another trick I have heard is to apply M07 to help clear them up. Haven't ever had the chance to try it, but I suppose it couldn't hurt!

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Cleaning soft top windows

That is a huge improvement with the 17. Great work.

[rdv350]

Re: Cleaning soft top windows

What about the Mirror Glaze Clear Plastic Detailer, has anyone tried that? That seems like something that would work for regular washing also.

[new2detailing]

Re: Cleaning soft top windows

The best thing is to keep the windows clean. When the plastic windows start to get infused with dirt if becomes contaminated. Mild wash followed by #17 will keep your windows nice and clean (scratch free) for years to come. Use PlastX when the windows start to yellow or fade.

[karburn]

Re: Cleaning soft top windows

If it's not forbidden to mention non-M products, there is a plastic cleaner / conditioner called Plex that I use on my Benz soft top window. Great results. However I'll probably try the M17 as well. Always looking for the Fountain of Youth for the old Benz! [1987 560SL] Another soft top window tip is to use 303 Aerospace Protectant - in a garage or very shady area, apply the stuff to both sides of the plastic windows and let it set for as long as you can. Then clean it with the product of your choice. This keeps the window supple and prevents yellowing / cracking. I got this off the MBCA site. I'm new to the forums so if I've overstepped the rules, smite me now.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Cleaning soft top windows

If it's not forbidden to mention non-M products, there is a plastic cleaner / conditioner called Plex that I use on my Benz soft top window.

I'm new to the forums so if I've overstepped the rules, smite me now.

Actually it's called Plexus and it's okay to bring it up and even recommend it on the forum, at the same time we would put any of our plastic products up against any other plastic product on the market, including Plexus and Novus.

A few companies make product like our M1008 and our M1708 which have been around since plastic was invented, pretty sure we've had plastic products on the market longer than the competition.


Plastic, as in plastic used for bottles to hold products started to replace glass bottles in the late 1950's and into the 1960's, so it's pretty safe to assume the glass bottle below is from the late 1940's or the 1950's sometime.

Mirror Glaze Plastic Cleaner




And from the above product we created two dedicated products, a cleaner/polish and a dedicated pure polish.

As our plastic polishes evolved over time and were improved we switched them over to plastic bottles, here's a couple of bottles from the late 60's or early 70's



Here's the current packaging...



Here are two mist & wipe, spray detailers, kind of like Quick Detailer is for paint, these are quick detailers for plastic.



And our most recent addition to our "Plastics Family" is our PlastX which contains a special type of diminishing abrasive that enables you to remove swirls, scratches, haziness, yellowing, and oxidation, as well as a protective polymer to help maintain plastic surfaces after application.




I don't think there's anything on the market like PlastX, it's a pretty complex plastic cleaner and maintenance product that is capable of removing some pretty serious scratches out of both rigid and flexible clear plastics by hand or machine as well as haze, yellowing and other defects.


As always... find something that you like and works for you and use it often...

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Cleaning soft top windows

I just installed a soft top on my bronco and wanted to know what I should use to clean the soft clear plastic windows on a regular basis. I have heard that certain window cleaners will fog the plastic and I want to avoid this. So what should I use?

Here's the solution to your question... the product on the left as the one on the right was a similar product in our Consumer Line and was discontinued, not because it didn't work but because it didn't rotate off the shelf fast enough via traditional retail marketing which shelf space is very, very competitive.


M1808 Mirror Glaze Clear Plastic Detailer





I owned the below truck for 12 years, I cut the steel hard top off and had a custom half cab convertible top made for it. When M18 came out, i used it all the time and in fact kept a bottle of it in the glove box to maintain a clean and clear back window on this truck. If you look closely and it's not a very good picture, but if you look closely you can see the back window was HUGE, not small, it was designed to be as big as the top would allow.




The top was always abused as I could take the top down while seated in the drivers seat but it meant letting the bars and the top fall into the back of the pick-up bed where it tended to get thrashed. No problem though, cleaned with M18 and once in a while machine buffed using M01 or M03 or a combination of both with a W-1000 on a rotary buffer. This was long before PlastX was created.

Also had the same convertible top made for a 1969 K5 Blazer and maintained it for 10 years using M18

Sometime in the future we'll have the same half-cab convertible top made for the Jimmy and again... a bottle of M18 will be stored in either the glove box or the jockey box.




Meguiar's Plastic products = good stuff!

[karburn]

Re: Cleaning soft top windows

Thanks again. I will have to order the PlastX online, as I can't seem to find it locally. I look forward to trying it out.